Our AssessmentThe editor of this site, who gives only his first name, is a businessman who details his search for the best personal finance software. He reviews both online and desktop software, ranking 22 applications. You Need A Budget 3 is the top-rated accounting software application, and Chance says he uses it to track his own family's finances. Another desktop application, MoneyWell, built for Apple users, ranks fourth; most of the other top-ranked products are online programs. The site has full reviews of both YNAB 3 and MoneyWell.

Our AssessmentIn their review of personal finances software for Mac computers, the editors of CNET award iBank 4.5 stars out of 5, and give Quicken Essentials 3.5 stars. They position iBank as "money management for individuals and small businesses" and Quicken Essentials as "personal finance and budgeting software."

Our AssessmentThis chart compares five financial programs. Desktop accounting software Quicken 2012, Moneydance 2011 and You Need A Budget 3 get the highest rating: 8.5 out of 10. Full reviews of many financial programs, including these, appear elsewhere on this site. Despite the site's name, FinanceSoftwareStore.com doesn't sell software. Instead, they have agreements as affiliates with many of the manufacturers and also keep track of special offers or discounts.

Our AssessmentThe top three personal finance software products in this 2012 review of products for the Mac are different from those selected in the roundup of Windows finance software. In addition, the reviews f each product take a slightly different tack. In addition to TopTenReviews' Gold medal, Money 4 wins their award of excellence.

Our AssessmentUser contributors to Amazon.com are quite detailed about what they like and don't like about personal finance software programs. You Need a Budget 3 receives an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars in more than 200 user reviews, while Quicken products receive only around 2.5 stars out of 5.

Our AssessmentQuicken tops Elmblad's list of personal finance software for Windows, in part due to its longevity, and despite there being no free trial of the product. Moneydance and AceMoney both have free trials as well as uncluttered interfaces.

Our AssessmentIn this individual review of iBank personal finance software, Batters awards it 4 out of 5 mice. He highlights that iBank easily imports Quicken data and has an innovative web download feature, unlike that found in other personal finance software.

Our AssessmentWilhide awards 4 mice out of a possible five to You Need a Budget 3, and recommends it for Mac users. Calling it "lightweight and easy to use", he highlights that the use of it can as people's financial needs evolve. He also praises its selection of financial reports.

Our AssessmentThis article recommends You Need A Budget Pro (now You Need A Budget 4) for those who "need extra motivation to achieve financial discipline." YNAB encourages users to stick to certain budgeting principles and helps them establish and stay within a budget.

Our AssessmentArar recommends Quicken Premier 2011 and awards it 4.5 out of 5 stars. She says that its setup is easier than ever, and it now supports more financial institutions than Quicken 2010, and makes linking to those intuitions easier. Quicken Premier is good for managing investments and helping with analysis at tax time.

Our AssessmentShelley Elmblad likes the fact that You Need A Budget 3 not only allows users to set up and manage a budget, but also teaches them how to pay off debts and save money. It comes with bonus spreadsheets for paying off debts, estimating income taxes, analyzing mortgages, planning for retirement and managing car maintenance. This accounting software costs $60, but updates are free. This thorough review can help consumers decide whether YNAB 3 might offer what they're looking for. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

Our AssessmentThis brief review focuses on the improvements and features offered by Moneydance 2010, including capital gains reporting, as well as new options for filtering reports and graphs. The application can also download transactions and merge them automatically. Other improvements include enhanced automatic categorization of downloaded transactions, and language support for English, German, French, Spanish and Norwegian.

Our AssessmentThis fairly brief review outlines Moneydance 2010's features. Reviewer Steven Sande asks readers what personal finance software they use on their Macs, and more than 50 people respond. Their comments are worth reading if you're a Mac user and wonder what desktop personal accounting software would best suit your needs.

Our AssessmentCNET editors give GnuCash a score of 4 out of 5, saying, "Although users with a solid grasp of financial management basics will get the most from this freeware program, GnuCash proved to be a capable tool for personal and small business accounting."

Our AssessmentAceMoney Lite is an open-source application that earns a score of 4.5 out of 5 in this review. The editors like the "eye-friendly interface that is also fairly intuitive to use," but note that you can manage only one account at a time. They write, "AceMoney Lite rivals well known… financial management programs in function and style." There are no ads to distract the user, either, they add.

Our AssessmentAbout.com's guide to financial software offers a detailed review of SplashMoney's desktop software, giving it a rating of 4 out of 5. She says SplashMoney is best suited for those who want a simple, easy-to-use software program and don't want advanced features like investment tracking or retirement planning. SplashMoney does "a great job with managing financial accounts, designing and tracking a budget and getting basic financial reporting," syncing with mobile versions for most handheld devices, Elmblad says. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

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